Improvement in bee-hives



L. w. & s. w. ALBEE.

Bee Hive. No. 57,272; Patented Aug. 21, 1866.-

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LEVI W. ALBEE AND SIMEON W. ALBEE, OF SOUTH GHARLESTOWN, N. H.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,272, dated August 21, 1866.

[0 all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEVI W. ALBEE and SIM ON W. ALBEE, of South Oharlestown, in the county of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and Improved Bee-Hive; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side view of our invention, theside of the case nearest the eye being removed Fig. 2, averticalend section of the same, taken in the line a; a Fig. 3; Fig. 3, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the line 31y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved bee-hive; and it consists in a novel construction of the same, and in a peculiar arrangement of its parts, as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby many advantages are obtained and superior facilities afforded for beeeulture, as hereinafter fully shown and described.

A represents a box or case of quadrilateral form, and provided with hinged door B at both sides and ends, and also provided with a pitch roof or top, 0.

D represents a box of such dimensions that it may slide in the box or case A, and provided with glass doors E at its sides and rear end, one door E being at each side of D, and two at its rear ends, having an oblique position, the top and bottom plates of D being out to form projecting points or V-shaped projections, against the sides of which the end doors close or abut when shut, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. The front end of the box D is also formed of oblique partitions a a, se cured between the top and bottom plates, at some distance from the front ends, as shown in Fig. 3, to form a vestibule for the protection of the bee-entrances b, at the lower ends of the partitions a a.

The doors E of the box D are secured in a closed state by buttons 0, and the box D is secured in the box or case A by sliding pins d, which pass througln longitudinal strips 0 e, at the bottom of the box or case, and into bars ff, attached transversely to the under side of D. (See Fig. 2.)

Within the box D there are placed a series of comb-frames, F, which are attached by hinges g to the inner surfaces of the partitions on a, and at such a distance apart that the frames F may, when the side doors, E, are opened, be moved out at right angles from the sides of the box D, and the combs fully inspected, and any of the frames removed or deta'ched, if necessary, and replaced with facil ity. These frames, at their free or disengaged ends, have pins hprojecting horizontally from them to serve as stops,in order that the frames may not be pressed in contact with each other, and the frames are kept snugly in position by means of screws '5, which pass one through each 'side door, E, and bear against the outermost frame, F, at each side of box D. (See Fig. 2.) By this means the comb-frames are retained in proper position, even if the hive should be turned over.

On the top of the box D the sparehoney boxes Gareplaeed,holes j being made through the bottoms of said boxes and thetop plate of the box, for the bees to pass from D into said boxes Gr. An exit-passage, 7c, is made in the upper surface of the top plate of the box D, and this passage, at its inner end, eommunt cates with openings in a bar, H, secured to the top plate of the box D, between the front and rear honey-boxes, Gr, said bar H being provided with pivoted slats I at each side, each having a hole, I, which, by adjusting the slats I, may be brought in line with holes at in the inner sides of the honey-boxes.

At the outer end of the exit-passage 70 there is avertical tube, J, which passes down through the top plate of the box D.

When honey is to be taken from the sparehoney boxes G slides are slipped under the boxes Gr, so as to out 01f the communication between G and D, and the bees within Gwill, by adjusting the slats I so that the holes I will be in line with the inner end of 7a and the holes m, in the inner sides of the boxes G, pass out through said passage 70, and they cannot return through said passage. Thus the boxes G will soon be vacated, and the latter withdrawn from case A, and the honey in G removed without difficulty.

The comb-frames F have their central slats,

a, perforated with a hole, a, to admit of the bees passing directly through the hive from one side to the other without traveling over the combs; and it will be-seen that the combs in the frames F may, in consequence of the arrangement of the latter, as shown, be inspected without any difficulty Whatever, and old comb removed, moth exterminated, and the several other manipulations required in bee-culture performed with the greatest facility.

This hive has been practically tested and found to answer a good purpose. The bees may be kept in good condition and the interior of the hive inspected at any time without any difficulty Whatever.

Having thus described our invention, What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The external case or box, A, provided with doors B at its sides and ends, in combination with a box, D, provided with comb-frames F, and with doors E at its sides, and arranged so as to slide within A, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. The hanging of the comb-frames F on hinges g, in combination with the pins or stops h and screws z in the side doors, E, of the box.

LEVI W. ALBEE. SIMEON W. ALBEE.

' Witnesses:

ROYAL HUMPHREY, ELI ADAMS. 

